Jumping into any series after the first few seasons can be a overwhelming task these days, so imagine how it feels to try and find a jumping on point to a franchise that’s been around over 50 years. Such is the case with Star Trek, which has the original series, seven spin-offs, three animated shows and 13 different films. If you tell someone who hasn’t watched Star Wars that they should jump in, they pretty much have a dozen films to watch and they’re more or less caught up to the point where they can watch the more recent bombardment of television shows at their leisure; however, with Star Trek the films came after the fact, and there are hundreds of episodes of television to catch up on if you want to be a completionist and understand all the references across the board. It’s at the point where potential fans may not even bother simply due to the fact that it’s so intimidating.
Enter Star Trek: Prodigy. Wait, an animated series that’s going to change all of the above and make it so that catching up on decades of history isn’t as daunting? Well, not exactly. There’s just so much history involved in the Star Trek universe that if you want to know everything you’ll have to invest the time; however, if you’re open to animated storytelling (which you should be, as I always find it baffling the amount of people who dismiss it as lesser than and end up missing out on some of the best tales in various fandoms being told) then Star Trek: Prodigy acts as an entry point to understanding the basics of Star Trek that works for both children and adults.
The story focuses on a motley crew of various aliens who are trapped in a prison colony on an asteroid where they’re being used as slaves for an evil tyrant called the Diviner (voiced by John Noble.) Their fates are changed when they find an abandoned Starfleet ship called the USS Protostar and use it to escape; however, the Protostar is exactly what the Diviner is searching for on this asteroid and so he gives chase. After boarding the ship, the group’s young self-proclaimed captain, Dal (Brett Gray), triggers the ship’s emergency training holographic advisor, who is based on the likeness of Captain Kathryn Janeway, who fans of Star Trek will recognize as the beloved captain from the 1995 series Star Trek: Voyager.
So, as mentioned, this is a great series for kids to learn and become interested in Star Trek, and also somewhere adults can come to familiarize themselves with the themes and narrative feel of the series before delving into the deeper end with one of the many shows to choose from, both current and from decades past. Janeway is a character I’m not familiar with, as I never watched Star Trek growing up, though I did know of her because she was the first female captain in a series, and understood her relevance when she appeared. That said, not knowing how she acted as a captain, or her storyline at all didn’t detract from the show here, as she’s simply a holographic representation of Janeway that is here to help these young stowaways learn the ways of Starfleet and what it’s like to function as a proper team.
The voice cast is fantastic, with Kate Mulgrew reprising her role as Janeway being a perfect choice as a previous captain to lead the way. She’s maternal in nature here, yet open to letting the group figure things out for themselves where they need to. Sometimes she doesn’t have a choice, as she is simply a hologram and is restricted by that. The new cast is top tier as well, with Gray’s Dal being a young and rebellious 17-year-old, who is clearly trying to find his way in a universe that’s never given him a chance. His choices and attitude can be frustrating at times, but that’s also what makes him relatable and someone with depth, as he’s got a lot to learn about the bigger picture and so do we.
The rest of the crew is just as great, with a favourite of mine being Rok-Tahk, an 8-year-old Brikar whose appearance doesn’t match her persona. She’s voiced fantastically by Rylee Alazraqui, who brings both a youthful innocence to the character, as well as a lot of love and charm. We’ve also got Jankom Pog, who is a 16-year-old Tellarite. This is a species that loves to argue almost for the sake of arguing. He’s voiced perfectly by the recognizable – yet not to the point of breaking immersion – Jason Mantzoukas. We’ve also got a Medusan, who is a noncorporeal, genderless, energy-based lifeform named Zero, who is voiced wonderfully by Angus Imrie. And lastly on the initial crew we’ve got the infamous Dee Bradley Baker playing the role of Murf…an indestructible Mellanoid slime worm who is basically the pet of the team, though an undeniably cute one that also pulls its weight.
Lastly we’ve got Gwyndala, a 17-year-old Vau N’Akat who is the daughter of the Diviner. While she helped her father control the slaves back on the asteroid, she also did try to make at least Dal’s life not as painful where she could. That’s not to say she couldn’t have done more, but it’s not like standing up to her father would’ve done anyone any good. Needless to say she’s got a lot to learn over the course of the series as well, and she’ll have that opportunity as she’s kinda-sorta kidnapped by our ragtag group of young would-be cadets when they take off in the Prodigy to begin the show. Gwyn is voiced by Ella Purnell, and Purnell does a wondrous job in doing so, as Gwyn is one of the more – if not the most – complex character in the show, as she’s not just learning about things for the first time like many of the others, but she also has to unlearn a lot of how she thought things were supposed to be.
Star Trek: Prodigy is a quick viewing experience as well, with just 10-episodes making up the first half of season one here. The first episode is a two-parter, so be prepared for a 40+ minute sitting there; though each episode after come in at around 25-miuntes or so. The show also only gets better as it goes on, with some truly fantastic episodes taking place throughout. There aren’t any episodic stories here, as yes there are lessons being taught that may wrap up by the time an episode is over, but from a storytelling perspective the arc being told begins in episode one and wraps up in episode 10, which gives the remaining 10 episodes of season one a good place to pick up to begin the show’s second full arc. Whether you’re a long-time fan of Star Trek, someone looking to get their foot in the door, or a Trekkie parent who wants to enjoy something with their kids, Star Trek: Prodigy offers something for everyone and is a perfect jumping on point to begin boldly going where no man has gone before.
Overall Rating: 4/5
Video and Audio Review
Star Trek: Prodigy is a nice looking, often vibrant animated show that also has dark moments, but not overwhelmingly so. The animation style chosen suits the Star Trek universe and the characters are appealing in a way that allows them to resonate with adults the same way they do with children. It’s a unique style that can be compared to how Clone Wars went its own way with how to represent its well-known characters and as a whole it’s a very welcoming one that’s easy to watch.
The audio side is also nicely handled, with the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio chiming through the speakers surrounding you wonderfully when they hit all cylinders. Even without surround sound you’ve got a solid audio mix here that handles dialogue cleanly, alongside a great score and great sound effects. While it doesn’t necessarily reach for the stars, this is a solid audio and video mix through and through.
Special Features
Disc One:
The Kobayashi Maru – Here we’ve got a four-minute look into the history that is the Kobayashi test, and the importance of it in the series as a whole.
Disc Two:
Trek Tradition – This is an 11-minute feature that delves into where Prodigy came from, how they were looking for a stepping-on point for new Trek fans and trying to figure out the best way to accomplish this. It’s a fun watch that sees the show’s creators as well as a number of other key Star Trek higher-ups speaking about the Trek as a whole, as well as how Prodigy now fits in.
The Prime Directive – This is a 3-minute featurette that sees Prop Designer Jack Rossi talk about the Prime Directive of Starfleet and how for the first time in the history of Star Trek TV it actually was physically shown on screen.
The Protostar Pack – This is a hefty feature that comes in at just over 28-minutes in length, and here we get to see the show’s creators talk about the main group of characters that were made for this show, the casting, as well as bringing Janeway back. We also get to hear from a number of the voice actors briefly, though sadly not all of them were able to make it in.
The Protostar – Here we’ve got a feature that’s just under 14-minutes in length and this time we’re focusing on the new ship that was made for the show. The USS Protostar gets a full breakdown here, from the Bridge to the Holodeck for those who want a better look at how it all comes together.
Gadgets & Gear – This is a feature that’s just over 17-minutes in length and it focuses on some of the key, well, gadgets and gear found throughout the 10 episodes. We touch on things as commonplace in Star Trek as phasers and tricorders, to things that are Prodigy specific, such as Gwyn’s unique heirloom weapon.
Paramount Pictures Presents Star Trek: Prodigy. Created by: Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman. Starring: Brett Gray, Ella Purnell, Jason Mantzoukas, Angus Imrie, Rylee Alazraqui, John Noble, Kate Mulgrew. Running time: 237 minutes. Rating: PG. Blu-ray Released: Jan. 3, 2023.
